Roland Adonis was crowned Humewood Golf Club champion for the first time when he ousted Michael Holden 3/2 in a keenly contested A division final at the links course in Port Elizabeth on Sunday [March 14].
A member at the club for just two years, Adonis, who plays for the EP seniors team, produced several clutch putts on the back nine to keep his talented opponent at bay as he worked hard to protect his two-hole lead at the turn.
Finally he was able to seal victory in a challenging encounter when he fired a superb drive to find the green on the short par-four 16th, with Holden finishing about 20 metres short.
Needing to do something special, Holden pushed his chip passed the hole and had to settle for a par, while Adonis duly two-putted for a birdie to go back to three up with just two holes left.
Earlier on the back nine, the new champion holed crucial putts of 10 to 12 feet on the 11th, the 13th and the 15th to halve two of them and to win the third.
His effort for par on the 13th was particularly praiseworthy as it was a nasty downhill tester after he fashioned a brave save from the lefthand bunker.
On the same hole, Holden found the left rough with his drive and could only lay up. His superb approach landed just past the hole but spun back to about 12 feet and he was unable to nail the par putt.
It was a microcosm of a frustrating day for the lefthander as narrowly missed several putts during the round, which would have exerted more pressure on Adonis.
That put Adonis back to three up and although Holden was able to pull one back when his opponent missed a relatively short par putt on the 14th, Adonis had the armoury to hold onto his lead before the coup de grace on the 16th.
On the front nine, Adonis went one up on the second when Holden’s drive landed in a small clump of bush, from which he could only hack out about 10 metres.
However, he levelled the match on the par-three sixth with a par after Adonis sent his tee shot well over the back and could not get up and down.
Adonis then took a telling lead when he parred the eighth and birdied the ninth, against Holden’s bogey and par, to go two up into the back nine.
Admitting to his love of links golf, Adonis said it was a special feeling to win the title in conditions where the players had to contend with a breezy south-westerly.
“To be honest, I didn’t expect this to happen and I had actually booked a social game with my mates for Sunday morning, not expecting to get so far,” he said.
“In the end it was a case of just backing myself and trying to make as many pars as possible as I didn’t feel the conditions were conducive to attacking the pins.
“I would have wanted to play better on the par-fives, but my short game got me out of trouble and I was very focused down the [final] stretch.”
He paid tribute to Holden, a former champion, for the fight he put up.
“I have great respect for Michael as he is one of the very good players at the club, but at the end of the day it went my way and it does feel good.”
In other action Wesley Sherman beat Pierre Goosen 4/3 to win the B division, and John Donlon took the C division against Mike Lawrence 3/1.
Author: Neale Emslie
Website: http://www.humewood.co.za
Port Elizabethan
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